


Light Is A Peculiar Thing

by Jessi_aka_pyro



Series: Science Bros Week 2017 Prompt Challenge [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Bruce Banner-centric, M/M, Minor Bruce Banner/Tony Stark, Science Bros Week 2017, Sciencebrosweek2017, badly described violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 06:06:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11457537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jessi_aka_pyro/pseuds/Jessi_aka_pyro
Summary: Sunlight through closed eyelids was a peculiar thing. Regardless of how bright it was, you could always tell whether it was outside, or in.Granted the sticks and dirt, digging into tender skin was usually a pretty good indication as well.Science Bros Week 2017 Prompt challenge. Prompt: Light





	Light Is A Peculiar Thing

**Light**

 

Sunlight through closed eyelids was a peculiar thing. Regardless of how bright it was, you could always tell whether it was outside, or in.Granted the sticks and dirt, digging into tender skin was usually a pretty good indication as well.

 

With a groan, Bruce slowly opened his eyes, the world blurry and much brighter than what he was prepared for. He turned to his side with a heavy thump, falling forward. Bruce Winced as more sticks and leaves dug into him. “Did I hurt anyone?” He asked in a rough, disused voice.

 

But…. where was everyone? Was he in a forest of some kind?

 

Where was he? Last he remembered there was a pulse shot… from the suit? But that’s- yeah. It was the Iron man suit. Not the one Tony was wearing but-  _ Tony. _ Right. Suddenly the days past events were rushing back to him in his after-Hulk haze.

 

The leader had come back. Or well, Samuel Sterns, as Bruce remembered him. He’d managed to hack into Jarvis’s system, taking control of one of the Iron Man suits. Luckily Tony had managed to shut the virus down before it had managed to get into any of his other suits, but one was still a problem.

 

The suit had targeted Bruce. Of course it did. It was Sterns after all. Though thankful for the opportunity to use his blood, Sterns still felt betrayed by the fact that Bruce had refused to work with him. A blast of light was shot across the lab, hitting Bruce square in the chest. After that everything was in flashes. Bruce remembered his vision being tinged in green. Tony’s voice muffled by rushing blood, the molten fire of muscles and bones being broken and reformed as they expanded and lengthened, and guttural roars emitting from his quickly deforming throat.

 

There was a battle. Bruce is at least 98% positive the lab will need remodeling again. Hell, if the Hulk was there then probably half the damn tower. If the other Avengers joined, Bruce didn’t know. As far as he was aware, at the time of the attack everyone else was deployed on some other mission.

 

He vaguely remembered flashes of red and gold streaking across his vision, repulsors firing at the other. The two similar suits confused to Hulk on who to attack. Bruce wasn’t sure of how he reacted to that unfortunately. His heart pounded a little faster in his haze. The Other Guy didn’t take kindly to confusion. Was that why he was surrounded by trees? The Hulk had a tendency to run away when there was no one left to fight. And he’d definitely make sure there was no one left if he was left to work through his confused, angered mind by himself.

 

Grasping for some form of inner strength, Bruce slowly pushed himself up, squeezing his eyes shut with a muttered curse. These transformations never did get any easier.

 

He stumbled to his feet, reaching down to grab at his ratted dark brown pants. Bruce sighed. Tony had given him the money buy these. If only Bruce had had the forethought to wear his Stark designed Hulk pants. Or ‘Hulk proof stretchy pants’ as Tony had named them.

 

He could see the New York skyline in the distance of the setting sun.  _ “At least I didn’t go too far this time,” _ He thought to himself.

 

Hours? It’d definitely been hours. The sun had long since gone down. And the Tower was looming ever closer. He finally in the city limits, odd and fearful glances his way. The occasional Pitying civilian. But no one spoke directly to him. Not a surprise there, honestly.

 

He was so tired. Being on the team for a little over a year now, it’d been a long time since Bruce had had to make it on his own like this. Just a year ago and this would’ve been second nature to him. Hell, Bruce would’ve been in another country by now. And actually… There was a curious thought. He hadn’t even once considered running. Sure he’d asked himself over and over if anyone was hurt, but not once did he think,  _ ‘I need to leave.’ _

 

Times had certainly changed.

 

Leaning against a concrete overpass, Bruce looked up at the gaping hole in the side of Avenger’s tower, easily visible from his distant post.

 

_ ‘The Hulk certainly knows how to make a hasty escape.’ _

 

Bruce shook his head. He had to keep moving. He was vulnerable like this. If someone got the sudden idea to try and mug him, well… that certainly wouldn’t end well. He could only imagine how worried Tony must be. If he didn’t-  **_No._ ** Bruce refused to let the thought pass through his head. The Other Guy liked Tony. He had to remember that.

 

But if the false Iron man shot at Hulk….

 

_ “ _ Damnit, Shut _ up.”  _ Bruce desperately shook his head, trying to dispel the thoughts building in his weakened mind. It was always more difficult to keep those thoughts at bay after a change. It was like his months of built up defenses suddenly forgot how to defend.

 

He’d managed to make it to the Tower without incident. Despite his shaking legs, the moment the yellow police tape came into view, Bruce ran. The Police held him back, but once Bruce all but shouted at them, announcing who he was, they let him through. He felt only slightly guilty over letting The Other Guy’s voice slip out during that exchange. He had bigger problems than worrying about his social image.

 

The Tower had been long evacuated of any civilian personnel, Stark Industry employees long used to these sorts of situations. Bruce easily made his way into the elevator, but seeing as there was no friendly robotic greeting, nor any signalling lights, Bruce sighed. It appeared all power must’ve been focused on the living floors. Which meant, the stairs.

 

Twenty-two flights up, Bruce was out of breath, body running rivers of sweat. His heart pounded in dangerous successions. He slid to the floor of the stairwell, breathing heavily with eyes closed tightly. He was so close. Just two more flights, Floor 24, R&D. If Tony wasn't there... Bruce didn't know what he was going to do.

 

Biting his lip to hold back the strangled groans and tears that threatened to pour out of his stressed and exceeded body, Bruce climbed back up to his throbbing feet, pushing himself up the last remaining steps.

 

He'd made it to the lab stairwell entrance, pushing it open, when everything went white.

 

A ringing sound thrummed through his head. The room he was in spun around him. Was he in the lab? Glass and cement and metal and-

 

Tony's helmet.

 

"No," he whispered. Bruce Pushed up to shaky arms, collapsing almost immediately. a distressed guttural sound escaped his parched throat. A voice above him sounded, but Bruce couldn't focus. Tony's helmet was there. Right in front of him. And Bruce couldn't move. His body was sore beyond belief, every inch of him in pain from more than over exerting himself. He could hardly keep his eyes open, the world around him coming in and out of focus the longer he was awake.

 

Someone was saying his name, but Bruce couldn't focus long enough to concentrate on it.  _ "Dr. Banner." _ Over and over and over again. But there were no feet, no hands, nothing. Just his name. Maybe he was dying.

 

No that was silly. Bruce would know if he was dying.

 

Maybe he was being arrested. That would be a more plausible option.

 

Maybe he- ugh. Bruce closed his eyes, trying to count each mind numbing pulse in his head. It hurt to much to think. So he stopped. And as his vision went white once more, footsteps thundered out behind him, but Bruce was no longer thinking. He instead fell unconscious once more, hand outstretched towards his friend’s discarded helmet.

 

\----

 

Light. Once again. But this time distinctly indoors. The light felt sterile and muted. Too cold to be the sun. His arms prickled with goosebumps as he felt his surroundings. He was on something hard, pretending to be soft. A hospital bed. The incessant beeping confirmed it. And further confirmation as his heart rate picked up with the rhythmic beeps.

 

He flexed his arm, wincing at the sore muscles. Transformations don’t usually leave him this exhausted…

 

Slowly opening his eyes to a once again not prepared brightness, Bruce tried to sit up, but  _ Hell no _ that was not happening. Even if he continued to try to fruitless action, strong, callused hands pushed at his shoulders suddenly, accompanied by a tired, frantic voice.

 

“Oh nonono. I don't think so, Bruce. Let’s lay back down, buddy.”

 

Bruce focused his hazy gaze on a slowly forming Tony. Relief flooded his chest, instantly losing the tensed body language he had been forming.

 

Seeing the stitches across Tony’s forehead had it coming back faster though. “Tony?”  _ Woah _ It hurt to talk, his throat was so dry.

 

As if reading his mind, Tony had a glass of water in hand, the other sliding around Bruce’s shoulder to his back, helping the man sit up. Bruce groaned as muscles pulled. “Shshshhh Brucie. It’s alright. Let’s get you some water, huh?”

 

Bruce nodded thankfully, holding back his questions for now. Tony pressed the glass to his lips, Bruce drinking the warm water greedily. With a displeased whine, Bruce watched Tony quickly pull the glass away. “Gotta slow down. Too much and you’ll get sick. I’ll give you some more in a few minutes, okay?” Bruce nodded, reluctant, but he ultimately knew Tony was right.

 

“What happened?” Bruce asked in a slightly more clearer voice. It still hurt a ton to speak however, leaving Bruce to wince through the words.

 

“Welp,” Tony began, sitting back in the chair next to the bed Bruce was ridden to. Now having a closer inspection, Bruce could see the stitches on Tony’s forehead reaching from mid brow all the way down to his temple, the skin stretched and with a purple tint. It looked painful.

 

“So your old buddy Sterns showed up and tried to take us down. Emphasis on the word  _ try.  _ After you went all big and green, the battle was pretty much over. Sterns kept shooting at him. I tried to stop him but… well you know.Jolly green got pissed but couldn’t figure out which was me, so he grabbed both of us.” Bruce winced. “I uhh I might’ve taken off my helmet to show him it was me…”

 

“That was stupid,” Bruce rasped out. At least that explained the helmet…

 

“Yeah, wasn’t my best idea.” Tony muttered defeated, but it didn’t stay for long. He brightened considerably though, easing Bruce’s nerves, if only slightly. “But hey it worked! Hulk took down the suit, and man was that cool to watch. A bit scary seeing as I’ve been in that suit many times, but still cool.”

 

“Your head?” Bruce forced out. The question had been tearing at him since he’d woken up.

 

Tony looked away a bit nervously. “Uhh. Yeah… Okay so. When Iron Giant saw me, he wasn’t happy with Robo cop over there so he kind of… threw me aside? And let’s just say It didn’t end well. BUt I’m okay!” He quickly rose his hands in defense as Bruce opened his mouth. “Really, Bruce. I’m fine! Promise! I mean I had like a mild concussion, which is why I didn’t go after you when Hyde jumped out the fucking wall, but really, I’m fine. I was just released finally when you passed out in the lab. Which by the way, what the fUCK, Bruce! Talk about me being reckless. You walked twelve fucking miles right after a transformation!? Are you insane? Jesus, when I saw you passed out, I was so- fuck. I wasn’t sure you were going to wake up anytime soon.”

 

“I-”

 

“Like fuck man! You were just- And I was so  _ Worried  _ and-”

 

“Tony, I’m-”

 

“I just kept thinking,  _ Is this what I get?  _ Get for what I don’t fucking know, there’s plenty to choose from, but I just couldn’t stop-”

 

“Tony!” Tony shut up, eyes laser focused on Bruce, who was breathing heavily from the force exerted. He took one of the Man’s hands into his own, Looking down at the arc reactor faintly glowing through Tony’s thin black shirt. “I’m fine. I promise you. I’m Okay. I came all this way because I needed to make sure  _ you _ were okay. You shouldn’t worry about me. I’ll alwa-” His sentence was cut off by violent coughing, Tony immediately jumping up and grab the discarded cup of water. This time Tony let Bruce finish off the cup.

 

“I guess we both did some stupid shit, huh.”

 

Bruce gave a weak laugh, eyes flickering up to Tony. “Yeah.”

 

Cupping Bruce’s cheek, Tony couldn’t help but stare, Bruce looking right back up at him, eyes soft and warm. “I’m just really glad you’re okay. What would I do without my Science bro?”

 

Bruce shook his head, looking back down, a small smile in place. “Not get attacked by crazy giant Green guys?” At least talking was getting easier.

 

Tony tilted Bruce’s chin back up, pressing a small kiss to Bruce’s chapped lips. He could’ve sworn he saw the Arc reactor light up slightly, but that must’ve just been a trick of his mind. “That sounds incredibly boring, though.”

 

Bruce rolled his eyes as Tony started on another tangent of self care and making a new program to keep each suit on a separate server to prevent this from happening again. As much as Bruce tried to pay attention, he was quickly failing as his head grew heavier and heavier with exhaustion. But this time, as he closed his eyes, there was a tiny blue light drifting back and forth across his closed eyelids as Tony paced the hospital room Bruce was contained in. And honestly? That tiny light was the most comforting of all.

 

Lights were a peculiar thing.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in like three hours while watching youtube. SO any mistakes are my own and unintentional. For the Science Bros week 2017 <3


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